Aston Martin Racing is an auto racing team established in 2004 as a partnership between automobile manufacturer Aston Martin and engineering group Prodrive. The partnership was initially created for the purpose of returning Aston Martin to sports car racing with the DBR9, a heavily modified variant of the Aston Martin DB9. Since the DBR9's racing debut in 2005, Aston Martin Racing has expanded to build a variety of cars available to customers, as well as development of Aston Martin's V12 engine for Le Mans Prototype use. Aston Martin Racing's program has earned several successes over the years.
Although all cars are built by Prodrive at their factory, Aston Martin plays an integral part in designing the race cars, as well as integrating elements of the race cars back into Aston Martin's road cars.
On 23 April 2009, Aston Martin chairman and Prodrive founder David Richards announced his intent to enter Formula One in 2010 with the possibility of using the Aston Martin name.[1] Aston Martin had previously entered cars in the 1959 and 1960 Formula One seasons but failed to score points in either year.
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Aston Martin Racing currently builds cars for four international grand tourer classes. The team itself runs a squad of DBR9s in the top class, GT1, while other cars are offered to customers. The GT2 class offering is the team's most recent, based on the V8 Vantage. The V8 Vantage also features a GT4 class race car known as the N24. The final offering is another DB9-based race car, known as the DBRS9, fitting into the GT3 category.
In 2008, Aston Martin Racing began their entry into the Le Mans Prototype category with the aid of Charouz Racing System, installing a DBR9 V12 into a Lola B08/60 LMP1 prototype.
On the 27th January 2009, the team announced a full works entry in the Le Mans Prototype category for the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans [2] with the Lola-Aston Martin B09/60. The entry marks the 50th anniversary of its last outright win at Le Mans. The team entered two LMP1 cars bearing the iconic blue and orange livery of Gulf Oil. The aim was to emulate the achievements of the 1959 race win with the DBR1 driven by Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori. At Le Mans the AMR Eastern Europe 007 car of Jan Charouz, Tomáš Enge and Stefan Mücke finished fourth behind the factory entries of Peugeot and Audi, as well as being the highest finishing petrol-fuelled car. The 008 car was running as high as 3rd overall in the morning until Anthony Davidson had a collision with a GT1 Aston. Subsequent repairs and a 5-minute stop and go penalty—for causing the collision—dropped the car out of contention. The 009 car was retired after 252 laps.
Three cars were also entered in the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans, although only the 007 and 009 cars were run by Aston Martin Racing; the 008 car was run by the French team Signature-Plus. Both the 008 and 009 cars suffered from problems and had to be retired, leaving only the 007 to finish 6th overall and completing 365 laps, less than it did in 2009.
For 2011 the B09/60 is succeeded by the Aston Martin AMR-One, and powered by a downsized, 2.0 litre turbocharged straight six petrol engine.
Since the team's debut at the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring, Aston Martin Racing has earned several important victories in their career. Their very first race actually earned them their first victory, defeating the Corvette Racing squad at Sebring. The RAC Tourist Trophy was also won later that year.
For 2006, Aston Martin Racing entered the full American Le Mans Series season, earning five victories including the Petit Le Mans, and finishing second in the GT1 championship, three points shy of Corvette Racing. In 2007, Aston Martin earned their first victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since the company's overall win in 1959 by overcoming the Corvette squad. This feat was repeated once more in 2008.
For 2009 Aston Martin Racing entered two of their new prototypes along with Aston Martin Racing Eastern Europe which completed the works trio of DBR1-2 or LOLA B09 60 LMP1 Prototypes. The team enjoyed a mixed success at Le Mans with 007 finishing 4th overall and one of the cars running as high as third overall during the 24 hour period. The teams greatest success with the new prototype came with the 2009 Le Mans Series (LMS) where in the first round in Barcelona the team won the 1000KM de Catalunya outright and with a string of podiums and an amazing 1-2-3 sweep of the ADAC 1000 km Nürburgring and a podium at the Autosport 1000KM of Silverstone sealed the 2009 drivers title for 007 and Jan Charouz, Tomas Enge, Stefan Mucke and the constuctors title for Aston Martin-LOLA as well as the team title for Aston Martin Racing.
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